Ask Mike Portnoy.
The former Dream Theater drummer – now with Adrenaline Mob – is feeling like he’s between a rock and a hard rock place when it comes to new music by his old band, as DT get set to release “A Dramatic Turn Of Events” next month with new stickman Mike Mangini behind the kit.
"It's very difficult for me to hear,” Portnoy tells Q104 New York’s Eddie Trunk on last week’s “Friday Night Rocks” show. “Nobody wants to see their ex-wife of 25 years with a new husband moving into the house that you built for 25 years. It's a painful thing for me to hear and see.”
“A Dream Theater without me was never in the plan; I never expected that,” Mike continued. “But they've chosen to move on and I just have to kind of sit on the sidelines and watch and listen. I did hear the song [first DT single, “On The Backs Of Angels”] and I heard an excerpt of another song. And I guess I'll reserve comment on those just because whatever I say — whether it be good, bad or indifferent — it's probably gonna come across wrong and it will be completely dissected and misinterpreted. So let's leave it at 'no comment.'"
Portnoy is no stranger to new music himself these days, as Adrenaline Mob release their self-titled debut EP this week (Tuesday); the disc features 4 original tracks plus a cover of the Black Sabbath classic, “The Mob Rules.”
Dream Theater
Dream Theater – On The Backs Of Angels (2011)
See also:
Hear sample of new Dream Theater song
Dream Theater announce North American tour
Preview new Dream Theater deluxe package
Dream Theater issue first single from upcoming album
